Vibe Belt Prototype

From their website: “Vibe is a smart haptic feedback belt that transforms audio to 3D surround haptic feedback experience by analyzing the audio signals and smartly distributing vibrations along the user’s body, thus creating a fully immersive experience.”

I was approached by this startup to design and produce a prototype utilizing the technology they developed for user testing and investor meetings. Since at this stage of the project there wasn’t an option to miniaturize the electronics to their final form factor, I separated the prototype into two parts: a styled belt containing the actuators and reflecting the proposed form factor of the product, and an enclosure for the operational electronics. This setup allowed testing both the look and feel of the product and its operation fast.

I sourced the belt from a local belt manufacturer including a hidden compartment for the electronics, it’s a buckle modified readymade to add brand and led indicator. The bulky electronics were housed in a 3d printed enclosure designed to categorize them visually as a placeholder, as they would be housed in the buckle in the final product.